knew Chinese had not helped us out. Then the two coolies
who were carrying our valises and the lunch-baskets went
another way and sat down en route ``to rest.'' They would
doubtless be sitting there yet if, after waiting till our patience
was exhausted, we had not sent men to find them. But that is
Asia.

However, all arrived at last and at 8:20 A. M. we cast off.
The day was glorious and as the sea was not rough enough to
make any one ill, we had a delightful trip along the coast with
its bare, brown hills so much resembling the scenery of California.
We reached Teng-chou-fu at 3:15 and that the pirates
were not imaginary was evident for as we entered the harbour,
they made a dash and captured a junk less than a mile away.
An alarm cannon was fired and soldiers were running to the
beach as we landed.

While in Teng-chou-fu, we witnessed a pathetic ceremony.
There had been no rain for several weeks. The kao-liang was
withering and the farmers could not plant their beans on the
ground from which the winter wheat had been cut. The people
had become alarmed as the drought continued, and they
were parading the streets bearing banners, wearing chaplets of
withered leaves on their heads to remind the gods that the
vegetation was dying, beating drums to attract the attention of
the god, and ever and anon falling on their knees and praying
--``O Great Dragon! send us rain.'' It was pitiful. This
country is fertile but the population is so enormous that, in the
absence of any manufacturing or mining, the people even in the
most favoured seasons live from hand to mouth, and a drought